Shoma Munshi

Dr. Shoma Munshi is a Professor of Anthropology and Division Head of Social Sciences at the American University of Kuwait (AUK). She has previously held academic positions at the University of Delhi, University of Amsterdam, University of Pennsylvania, and has collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New Delhi. Her research focuses on media anthropology, visual culture, and sociocultural dynamics in South Asia.

• Current Role: Division Head, Social Sciences at AUK
• Past Affiliations: University of Delhi, University of Amsterdam, University of Pennsylvania
• Visiting Positions: Zayed University (Dubai), Maison des Sciences de l’Homme (Paris), Dartmouth College (USA)

Her scholarly work examines media and visual anthropology through key themes:

• Television studies and prime-time soaps as cultural brands
• Popular culture and consumption patterns in India
• Urban anthropology in megacities
• Transnational migration and diaspora studies
• Material culture and lifestyle aesthetics
• Youth culture in South Asia

She has contributed to academic literature through edited volumes and fieldwork collaborations, including the 'Urban Aspirations in Mega-cities' project at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious Diversity.